NJPP 15th Anniversary Celebration

About 250 people gathered in Downtown New Brunswick Sunday evening to celebrate New Jersey Policy Perspective’s 15th anniversary and join NJPP in honoring lifelong public servant Ray Bramucci. Former and current elected officials from Congress to City Halls united with New Jersey civic leaders as well as family and friends to pay tribute to the former NJ Commissioner of Labor and US Assistant Secretary of Labor. (For more on why NJPP honored Bramucci, click here.)

Former U.S. Sen. Bill Bradley, for whom Bramucci ran New Jersey operations from 1979 to 1990, praised Bramucci’s even-handedness, leadership and commitment to helping working families through smart policy, as did Emmy-award winning broadcaster Steve Adubato, a longtime friend of Bramucci who emceed the event.

Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg spoke fondly of Bramucci before presenting him with a resolution honoring his service to New Jersey, while NJPP president Gordon MacInnes explored the connections between Bramucci’s life work and NJPP’s policy priorities.

Bramucci took the opportunity to reflect on his life of public service under Sen. Bradley, Gov. Jim Florio and President Bill Clinton. He said he was proud of what he’d accomplished, but more proud of the fact that he had always tried to do the right thing, whether or not it was politically expedient.

The celebration was a financial success for NJPP, helping to ensure that New Jersey’s leading voice on progressive policy will remain strong. It was also a success in another important way: it brought progressive New Jerseyans from several generations together to explore and celebrate our shared vision of a Garden State where everyone gets a fair shot at success.